GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — The state and Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen have approved changes to the town’s charter.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has been changed to a mayor and city council.
What prompted the charter changes was the cost of elections, and fewer community members coming out to vote during odd-year elections.
“The odd year elections when there weren’t any national or state elections, we would only have 300 or 400 people show up to the polls,” Mayor Cal Doty said. “And that would cost $20,000 to hold the election.”
Doty said the charter changes allow city elections to fall on even number years rather than odd. Terms were also changed from two to four years.
“It was just to kind of clear things up and make it less of a burden as far as the elections go,” said Doty.
The changes will reduce election-related expenses for the town.
“We expect to save between $150,000 to $200,000,” Doty said. “It’s not a tremendous amount of money, but it’s money we think we can use better elsewhere.”
Doty said he hopes the changes will increase voter turnout.
Other changes include changing the titles of some town officials and how the town’s debt limit is established. The full list of charter changes for the town of Greeneville has been posted on the town’s website.
